How to Fix Decking Wood That Is Feathering & Splintering?

Brenda Priddy

A splintered and feathered deck will no longer be enjoyable because it is impossible to walk over it without threat of injury. It is important to address a feathered and splintered deck as soon as possible to prevent the damage from spreading throughout the deck, necessitating board replacement. Most splinter repairs are simple and take just a few minutes to complete. However, some repairs, such as rot repairs and board replacement take a little more time to complete.

Repairing splintered wood is a simple process.

Step 1

Inspect the splintered or feathered deck wood. Determine the reason for the feathering or splintering. If the wood is feathering due to moisture or rot, then the repair method is different from wood that splinters as a result of only continued use.

Step 2

Repair dry splinters in the following way. Locate the splinter. If the splinter is still present inside the wood, then simply pull up the corner and place a dab of wood glue under the splinter. Step on the splinter to hold it in place. Place a piece of wax paper over the splinter and hold it down overnight with a weight. Sand the area the following morning with a fine grit sandpaper.

Step 3

Repair splintered wood where the splinter is missing in the following way. Use a chisel to scrape out any remaining rough edges of the splinter. Sand the area lightly with a rough grit of sandpaper. Place some wood filler, slightly darker than the color of the wood, in the hole and feather out the edges with a putty knife. Allow the area to dry for 24 hours. Lightly sand the filled spot with a fine grit sandpaper.

Step 4

Repair rotted feathered wood in the following way. Use a chisel to scrape out any remaining rotted wood. Apply an epoxy pre-treatment to the area to stop the spread of the rot. Fill the area with wood filler using a putty knife. Allow the area to dry for 24 hours. Sand the filler after it dries to return it to the same level as the rest of the floor.

Step 5

Repair large sections of splintered deck in the following way. Cut the board about 2 inches away from the splintered section on both sides. Cut a new board to match the length of the removed piece. Nail the board into place using a hammer and nails. Stain the new boards to match the color of the old deck pieces.